Y-Haven Finds "Buried" Success

By Pamela Vincent

             A group of men at Y-Haven transitional housing have collaborated on an original play titled Buried. The play, with a cast of six, was the idea of James Levin, artistic director at the Cleveland Public Theatre, who also directed it.  The story line is about people searching for their identity with one of the characters digging in the ground to find hidden parts of himself that was buried deep. It was written and performed by men who reside at Y-Haven transitional shelter.

            The play also unearths unpleasant part of life that people who have trouble coping tend to keep hidden so they don’t have to face them.  Eventually, though, the characters face their fears and in doing so find themselves.

            Buried tells the story of a man who returns to a place from his distant past to uncover a buried secret.  CPT resident director Raymond Bobgan, and John Guerra of CPT education staff, worked with the men at Y-Haven to develop the play.

            The group performed the play at the Cleveland Public Theater to great acclaim and also to groups of teens at both the Lake and Cuyahoga County detention centers.  Chip Joseph of Y-Haven said, ‘the teens loved it, they could both relate to and enjoy the performance!”

            The Y-Haven group will soon be writing another play with some of the original cast and a few new members.  The play is available on video, and if you are interested in either viewing or obtaining a copy please call (216) 631-2727 for details.

            This comes in response to last season’s collaboration between CPT and Y-Haven called Reconstruction of a Man, which toured in hospitals, recovery programs and churches.

 Copyright NEOCH published 2001 Issue 51